St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-31
LIND'S DISTRICT.
The People of the Second Min
nesota Beginning to
Talk Politics.
End a Hard Man to Under
stand by Either of
the Parties.
~ Jugglery With the Tariff
Both Perplexing and
Amusing.
The Observation-Disclosures
and His Friends Misunder-
stand the Situation.
How the Willy William Made
Himself Solid With the
Changers.
Dissension in the Party--Mc-
Gill Nay Be Nominated
Again.
Snecial to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
MANKATo, Mimi, Dec. 30.-The most
casual observer of politics i'll the Second
congressional district of Minnesota can
not but reach the conclusion that John
Lind has become a fearful and mon
strouS bugabOo to both of the political
parties. His ability as a politician, his
hold upon the people, have been magni-
fed in extent until the obscure country
LAWYER through no particular effort of
his own, has grown to the proportions of
a mammoth. Make the inquiry of any
Republican in the district, In what lies
Mr.. Lind's remarkable strength" He
will almost invariably say, He is
Norwegian Ask Democrat the
same question and his answer will be,
"The district is overwhelmingly Repub-
lican." Both replies are more OF less
false. Neither of them account for
Lind'S nomination, election nor major
ity. If you choose to
Define a Phenomenon
as the result of an unexpected series of
occurrences, then Lind is one. When
Jim Wakefield retired the people said,
"Adieu, MediOcrity!" Just as truth
fully they might have exclaimed on
Lind's appearance, ''Oh, thou Acct
dent!7 The blind, stumbling, sense
less Goddess of Chance made Lind an
NJ. c. incidentally she had assistance
from McGill, Fletcher and Bobleter.
If c. W. Smith. of Worthington, and
4, ,Jni taH hi
had more spunll than craven fear, Lind
could never have been nominated. Had
o. B. Turrell carried Redwood county,
Lind could not have been nominated.
Has the late N. y. J.. COllester not been
sed as dupe for certain Republican in
triguers. Lind could not have been NOM
mated. These points are cited to dem
onStrate that it was not Sagacity on the
part of Lind that nominated him, but a
lack of
Concentrated Opposition
(Ilis good fortune) at the moment when
he needed most to be fought. When lie
entered the campaign for election. he
found his opposition just as weak as he
had in the convention. The Democrats
lacked money. newspapers and a strong
candidate. They formed with the
Farmers alliance, (anOther bugabOO),
and nominated gOGd-natured cattle
breeder, whose sole interest in the cam
paign was not above the advertisement
of his COWS. Lind received 10000 ma
jority, not for his own popularity, but
because disaffected and diSgusted Re-
publicans with the Wakefield regime,
found no one to support but him. The
Overwhelming Repubicansm of the
district is due in more ways than one to
lack of Democratic organization and
candidates. not to particular strength in
Republican nominees. If not so, how
can the anomaly exist of a free trade
district sending a high protectioniSt
like Lind to congress? Lind's
JuggIery With the Tariff
plank of the platform on which he was
elected should be well remembered. 1t
was so cunningly worded with his own
pen that it meant nothing but protec-
ton, and yet apparently sought revenue
reform. Throughout his campaign,
Lind avoided any comprising reference
to the tariff. Any question from the
public press as to how he stood Oh the
tariff was met with some such reply as
this:
al am in favor of a careful and judi
cious revision of the tariff, such as will
not only protect the dignity of Ameri-
can labor but preserve to our infant in
dustries that modicum of protection
which will be reasonably compatible
with their greatest prosperity"
This is the style of slush offered in
Republican platforms to the people for
ten years past and which Lind has care
fully committed to memory. A direct
Free Trade Issue
made against him in the district would
20 long way toward defeating him,
Let it be understood that the district is
not Norwegian. nor that any man could
be elected in il solely OIL his nationality
The pivotal counties Of the district are
Blue Earth, Brown, FaribauIt. Lac qui
Parle, IA Sueur, Lyon, Nicoliet, SibIey,
Waseca and Yellow Medicine. Of the
congressional vote they cast nearly two
thirds-say LOCO odd votes of which
not $500 are Scandinavian. The other
ten counties, casting some 1000 votes,
are said 10 have, on careful estimate
1,500 Scandinavian votes. making Il total
in the district of about 4.G91 Clearly
his own cOuntrymen did not elect Mr..
Lind. 1t was as has been ~rittcn-fGr
tunate circumstances and
little Democratic Opposition
that sent Dir. Lind 10 Washington.
German, Irish and American votes
made him Il congress..--.::::. iiot for his
super-ability. bat = the lack Oh I. Letter
man. It is almost Sssiisd t',c;t Tom
Bowen. Gf S;eerf f.5r- VII q: IS 0il-
ponent nexi year. Ii.iS i euarahtec
at least OF a likely c:sI..i i,alcr. PcNea.
John (. Wa, ~. sffs.ik;.,e. air; Green.
OF lie SEciir, have go 81 ;,!soEi t.lc nEly
Democratic p;:.tol5 ia t:H- district for
years. 1'iiey have fought against bad
odds with good spirit. Now that one OF
them proposes TO enter the field himself